


Family Matters

by Joolz



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Angst, April Showers Challenge, Episode Related, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-08
Updated: 2008-07-08
Packaged: 2017-10-18 05:17:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joolz/pseuds/Joolz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack has the Doctor's cell phone number, and he isn't afraid to use it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Matters

Now that Jack has the Doctor's cell phone number, he doesn't hesitate to use it. It rings for a while before there's an answer.

"Yes."

"Doctor. How are things?"

The Doctor's voice was cold. "Oh, you know. The usual. Is there something you wanted?"

Jack frowned. The Doctor really had terrible phone manners.

"No. Yes. Well, sort of. I was actually calling about Rose. Martha's been asking questions about her, and I thought it would be better if they talked to each other. Cut out the middle man, so to speak. They met, but didn't have a chance to compare notes. I think it would be good for Martha to get to know Rose better. What do you think? Could you stop by some time when you're not too busy saving the universe?"

The Doctor's response was clipped. "Rose is gone."

What? Gone where?"

"She's in the alternate universe."

Taken aback, Jack asked, "What! Why?"

"The multiple universe walls were closing. She had to go back to where she was. Dimensional retro-closure."

"Mickey stayed here. Why couldn't Rose?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Okay, conversational dead end, then.  
"Did she want to go?"

"Not exactly. She had to stay there with the other me. Couldn't stay here, could he? It's for the best. They can have a normal life together."

Jack was stunned. "You left Rose there with him?"

"Jack." The Doctor's voice held a warning.

Jack was having trouble taking this in. It was wrong on so many levels. Rose had been forced back to the other reality against her will. The Doctor had sent her away to be with another man. Well, him, but not. Those things were tragic, but Jack was also deeply hurt. He'd thought Rose was back, and that they would be able to see each other. Suddenly she was gone again, no chance to say goodbye or anything. He was sure the Doctor had his reasons, but did he truly not realize that this affected more than just him? Wait until Mickey heard, and Sarah Jane and Martha.

"Donna let you do this?"

There was silence again. Jack was becoming seriously alarmed.

"Doctor, where is Donna?"

"Yeah, I was going to call you about that. Donna's gone."

If Jack hadn't already been sitting down, his knees would have buckled.

"Elaborate," he ordered.

"The human/Time Lord meta-crisis she experienced was killing her. I had to remove all memory of meeting me and everything related to me or what we did together. If she remembers, she'll die. So Donna's gone home to be a temp in Chiswick."

Jack's mouth was hanging open. The scale of the disaster was almost beyond comprehension. Rose gone, along with the weird extra Doctor. The new, improved DoctorDonna gone, forgetting the Time Lord as though she'd never even known him. How could the Doctor possibly cope with this?

When he could speak again, Jack asked, "Who's with you now?"

"No one, and I rather think that's for the best, don't you?" There, the sharp aggression his friend used to cover pain was all too audible.

Jack stood up. "Doctor, come here."

"I don't think…"

Jack interrupted forcefully, "No, you don't get to think. You don't get to talk. You're coming here to Cardiff right now. I'm walking up to the Plass, and I want the TARDIS there when I arrive."

"What for, Jack? What's the point?" the Doctor protested, sounding tired.

"Don't argue with me. Do as I say. Are you setting the controls? Do it now."

"I don't appreciate being spoken to like this," the Doctor said curtly, but Jack could hear the buzz and whir of coordinates being entered.

"Tell me about it when you see me," he answered, and closed the phone. Jack grabbed his coat and hurried out of the Hub, taking the lift to the Tourist Office entrance.

When he emerged onto the Plass, the blue police box was materializing next to the fountain. By the time the door opened and the Doctor walked out, Jack only had to take one more step before he could wrap his arms around the Time Lord.

The Doctor stiffened, then tried to push Jack away. Jack didn't budge. He wasn't crushing him, but he did have the Doctor quite firmly secured.

"Let me go, right now," the Doctor ordered.

"No."

The Doctor struggled a bit, but not seriously. He undoubtedly could have freed himself if he wanted to, but probably not without hurting Jack in the process. Jack was betting that he wouldn't go that far, and it seemed to be paying off. The Doctor stood still and reluctantly let Jack hold him. It was awkward, and Jack was starting to think he'd made a mistake when the tension suddenly drained from the other man's body, and he relaxed against Jack's chest.

Jack didn't move, trying to put all his love into the embrace, hoping that his friend would be able to feel some of it.

"Are you ready to come inside?" Jack asked eventually.

The Doctor pulled back and Jack let him. "Why? What's inside?"

"The rest of the family."

"I haven't got family. I'm just me," he waved his hand like a greeting, "last of the Time Lords here. No quaint little domestic arrangements for me."

"If that's what you think then you're a big dope. You do have family whether you like it or not. The last few days should have taught you that if nothing else. Kind of an eccentric, dysfunctional family, but yours all the same."

Jack went on, "Later we can call Sarah Jane. I'm sure she'll bring Luke down if I promise to lock away all the guns. But for now, Martha and Mickey you already know. You need to formally meet Gwen and Ianto, because they're my family, so they're yours by extension. Like in-laws."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and said with exasperation, "We're not married."

"Whatever you want to call it, we're connected. We're going to know each other for a very long time, and if necessary I'll spend all of it teaching you what that means.

"To start with, when you're grieving, you will not do it alone. I'm not saying you have to spend every minute baring your soul," Jack ignored a snort from the Doctor, "but you matter to me, to us. It's selfish and frankly unacceptable to hide yourself away as though you're all alone in the world."

"But what if I want to be alone?" the Doctor challenged. "I could get in the TARDIS and not come back. Throw out the mobile phone."

"You could, but I'm asking you not to. We don't have to get along all the time. We don't even have to like each other all the time. All we have to do is trust each other. After everything we've been through we can do that, can't we?"

There was still a lot of pain and doubt in the Doctor's eyes, but there was also a tiny spark of hope. A nascent interest in trying something new, born of his unquenchable curiosity. He warned, "I'm not dependable. I could be very bad at this."

Jack shrugged. "We'll work it out." He put his hand on the small of the Doctor's back and began to guide him toward the tourist office. "Come on. We will need to talk about Rose and Donna." The Doctor balked and Jack propelled him forward. "Non-negotiable. But not right away. First we'll get a cup of Ianto's coffee, the best in the universe. I know you're a tea man, but Ianto's coffee might just convert you."  
"Humph. That's unlikely."

As they entered the building, Jack asked, "And what was that question about Gwen's family? Have you met them before?"

"Ah," said the Doctor, "that's a good story. And then I suppose I should tell you about my daughter, Jenny."

"I can't wait."

End


End file.
